Franco Assembles Cast for His IN DUBIOUS BATTLE Adaptation

February 9, 2015

Actor-turned-filmmaker lines up next directorial effort…

Another day, another film project for the ever-busy James Franco. It has been announced that actor-turned-filmmaker is to tackle an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s ‘In Dubious Battle,’ enlisting an all-star ensemble cast that includes Selena Gomez, Vincent D’Onofrio, Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, Bryan Cranston and Danny McBride.

Considered Steinbeck’s first major work, ‘In Dubious Battle’ is set in a fictionalized valley in California, and explores themes Steinbeck continued to develop: group behaviour, social injustice, man’s inhumanity to man— all themes which continue to be relevant today.

A labor conflict between migrant apple pickers and the local growers’ association is the backdrop against which Jim Nolan (Franco) becomes involved in the labor movement and rapidly matures as he learns what it means to do organizational fieldwork.

Matt Rager, the screenwriter behind Franco’s William Faulkner adaptation ‘As I Lay Dying,’ is on board to adapt the script.

Filming is slated to kick off in March with AMBI Group financing the film and producing with Rabbit Bandini Productions and That’s Hollywood Pictures Productions.